Shuttle-changing loom



April s, 193o Filed June 3, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet pril, 1930. A. J. cHEvRETTE SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed June 3, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z0 a 5 v ""3 "1' fnl/en for 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 A 8, 1930. A J. cHEvRETTE SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed June 3. 1927 Aprila, 1930. AA J. CHEVRETTE l 1,753,233

SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed June 5, 1927 4 sheets-sheet 4 www@ y,

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Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUSTIN J. CHEVRETTEOF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS siii'rr1.ii-Cianivciiiverv Loom Application led June 3,

This invention relates to a loom in which storage is provided for a plurality of reserve shuttles, and in which mechanism is provided for automatically replacing an exhausted shuttle without stopping the regular operation of the loom.

It is the object of my invention to provide improved and simplified mechanism for automatically replacing a shuttle, by the use of which mechanism the transfer may be made at high speed but with a smooth and'easy motion, so that the shuttles are inserted and removed Without shock and with little chance of injury to the loom mechanism 0r to the shuttles.

l/Vith this general object in view, onefeature of my invention relates to the provision of an auxiliary shuttle box used only to receive an exhausted or substantially exhausted shuttle.

Another objectof the invention is to provide improved means for raising the regular shuttle box above running position and for inserting a fresh shuttle therein during the return Hight of the exhausted shuttle, such insertion being preferably from the rear side of the box. j

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. l is a front elevation of my improved shuttle-changing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig 3 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial rear elevation, looking lin the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the parts in different position;

Fi 6 is a partial sectional en d. elevation showing the normal running position of the parts;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional rear elevation showing the corresponding position of the parts which determine the position of the transferrer; I s

Figs. 8, 10, and 11 are views similar to 1927. Serial No. 196,378.

rock shaft 21 (Fig. 1) on which a layend-22 is mounted to oscillate in the usual manner. The drop box frame 23 is mounted to slide vertically inthe lay end 22 and is supported by the usual lifter rod 24, having an arm or bracket 25 (Fig. 1) iixed at its lower end and connected by a link 26 to a drop box lever 27 mounted to swing about a iixed pivot 28. The rod 24 is guided in bearings 29 (Fig. l) in a bracket 30 secured to the end of the rock shaft 21. which bracket also provides a support for the usual picker stick 31.

A drop box actuating cam 33 (Fig. 2) is fixed to the lower cam shaft 34 of the loom and engages a cam roll 35 on the rearwardly extending arm of an actuating'lever 36, pivoted upon the fixed stud 28 previously described. The lever 36 also has a forwardly extending portion 36a having a slot or opening 37 formed therein. A spring 38'holds the roll 35 in yielding engagement with the cam 33, and the portion 36a of the actuating lever is thus oscillated closely adjacent to one side of the lever arm 27 previously described.

A latch 39 is pivoted at 40 on the lever ortion 36a and has an oset portion 4l ig. 13) adapted to project through the opening 37 and into alignment with the arm' 27. l/Vhen the latch thus engages the arm 27, the drop box frame 23 will be raised above normal running position. The latch 39 may be controlled either from a filling fork or from a weft detector or both. The control of the latch constitutes no part of my present invention and any suitable filling fork or weft detector may be utilized.

The drop box frame 23 is provided with an intermediate horizontal partition 43 (Fig. 6) which forms the bottom of the regular running shuttle box. A binder 44 (Fig. 1) is pivoted at 45 on an arm 46 fixed to the lay end 22, said binder always remaining in position to cooperate with the running shuttle. The binder 44 has an upward projection 47 which is beveled at its upper rear edge (Fig. 11) to cause the binder to be moved outward as a fresh shuttle is lowered to running position. The usual binder spring 48 (Fig. 1) is provided for the binder 44, and short partial boxplates 49 are provi ded at each end of the shuttle box, outside of the point of engagement of the shuttle by the binder 44.

rl`he di op box frame 23 is also preferably provided with a ledge or shoulder 5() (Fig. l0) adapted to support the exhausted shuttle when it is received into the lower or auxiliary box.

The drop box frame 23 is provided with forwardly projecting guideways 52 (Figs. 1 and 6) at each end thereof for a forwardly movable plate 56 '.ormally forming the top of the running shuttle box. The plate 53 is provided with a stud 54 (Fig. 1) engagedby the laterally projected end 55 of a coil spring 56, mounted on astud 57 fixed in the drop box frame 23. The spring 56 thus exerts a `yielding rearward pressure upon the plate 53. holding it normally in operative position. The plate 53 is moved forward during the insertion of the fresh shuttle as will be hereinafter described.

A magazine 60 (Figs. 1 and 2) is fixed to the loom frame 2() and provides storage for a. plurality of fresh shuttles S. The lower shuttle rests upon a bottom plate 61 and the lower portion of the magazine is open at its front side to permit the lower shuttle to be pushed forwardly upon transfer. The magazine is slightly inclined rearwardly and supports the lowest shuttle above and slightly in front of the normal position of the regular shuttle box when the lay is at back center.

The upper shuttles are retained from dis- `ilacement within vertical guideways formed in the end portions of the magazine., as clearly shown in Fig. 3, but the lower shuttle is prevented from forward displacement merelv by two rolls 64 (Figs. 1 and 3) mounted on arms 65 pivoted on studs 66 on the magazine frame and .yieldingly heldin operative position by coil spring 67. When the shuttle is transferred, the arms 65 swing outwardly to permit the shuttle to be moved forward out of the magazine.

A stud or pin (Fig. 2) is mounted on a bracket 71 fixed on a beam 72 of the loom and provides a. convenientend holder for the weft ends lV from the shuttle in storage.

A receiver 75 (Figs. V1 and 2) for the exhausted shuttles is supported by'arms 76 on the loom frame 20. The receiver 75 is provided with rearward projections 77 having upwardly extending flanges 78 effective to engage the exhausted shuttle, and to cause it to be removed from the lower or auxiliary l shuttle box on the rearward movement of the lay as will be hereinafter described.

A transferrer 80 (Figs. 3 and 4) is supported on arms 81 clamped to a rock shaft 82 supported in bearings 83 projecting rearward from the lay end 22. A coil spring 84 on the shaft 82 tends to yieldingly raise the transferrer 80, which is normally held in its lower or inoperative position below the magazine bottom plate 61, as indicated in Fig. 6, by means to be described.

Arms 85 (Fig. 4) are fixed to the rock shaft 82 and extend downward therefrom, providing bearings fora rod 86, slidable axially in the arms 85 and provided wim a collar 87 engaged by a coil spring 87a which tends to move the rod to the position shown in Fig. 5. Vhen in such position, the end of the rod 86 will be engaged by an abutment 88 (Fig. 2) fixed to the loom frame. When thus engaged. the transferrer 80 will be raised positively to the operative position shown in Fig. 8, the spring 84 assisting such movement.

The rod 86 is normally withdrawn from operative position by a lever 90 (Fig. 4) pivoted at 91 on the lay end 22, and provided with a depending portion 92 projecting under the bottom of the drop box frame 23, as indicated at Fig. 2. Then the boxes are in their lowered or normal running position, the rod 86 is withdrawn as shown in Fig. 4,

-but when the boxes are raised for transfer,

the pin is released for engagement by the abutment 88.

A latch 95 (Fig. 7) is pivoted at 96 on the lay end 22 and is provided with a notch 97 adapted to receive the forward end of a locking arm 98 (Fig. 2) clamped to the end of the rock shaft 82. The upper end of the latch 95 is provided with a roll 99 (Fig. 7) adapted to be engaged by a. cam plate 100vfixed on the drop box frame 23 (Fig. 3).

YVhen the' drop box frame is raised for shuttle transfer. the cam plate 100 releases the latch 95 which thereupon locks the arm 98 and the transferrer 8O in raised position as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, these parts being thereafter unlocked and released by return or downward movement of the box frame, as indicated in Fig. 12, and the arm 98 being held depressed by the cam plate 100.

Having described the details of construction of my improved shuttle-changing mechanism, I will now describe the operation thereof.

The usual running position of the parts is a s shown in Figs. 2 and 6, with the upper or regular shuttle box in position to receive the running shuttle, and with the latch 39 withdrawn from'the drop box lever 27. Upon indication of exhaustion or substantial exhaustion of weft or filling in the active.

ing the shuttle boxes to be raised by the cam Blto the position shown in Fig. 8, with the upper or regular box empty.

As the lay moves rearward, the top plate of the shuttle box is engaged by the front part of the magazine and is thus moved relatively forward in the guideways 52. The raising of the drop boxes also releases the lever 90l (Fig. 4), allowing the lever to move to the position indicated in Fig. 5, and causing the indicating pin or rod 86 to `be engaged by the abutment 88.

This raises the transferrer 80 to the position shown in Fig. 8, and causes the arm 98l to be locked in raised position by the latch 95, as shown in Fig. 9. The transferrer is thus positively held behind the lowest shuttle in the magazine 60, which rests substantially in the upper shuttle box when said box is at back center in its raised position.

rlhe fact that the magazine is slightly in advance of the back center position of the shuttle box allows the transferrer to rise just behind the lowest shuttle in the magazine during the final rearward movement of the lay and after the rod 8G is engaged by the abutment 88.

As the lay moves forward, the transferrer 80 pushes the lowest shuttle S forward out of the magazine, while at the same time the running exhausted shuttle Sis received in the lower or auxiliary shuttle box, as shown in Fig. 10. As the boxes approach front center, the ledge 77 on the receiver takes a position rearward of the boxes, as indicated in Fig. 11. The shuttle boxes then move downward, releasing the exhausted shuttle S from the binder 44, and moving the fresh shuttle S into engagement with the binder and into running position.

Such downward movement of the boxes also releases the arm 98 from the latch 95, as indicated in Fig. 12, permitting these parts to return to the normal position indicated in Fig. 7, with the tra-nsferrer 80 below the level of the magazine and thus out of the path of the lowest shuttle in the magazine. The lowering of the shuttle boxes also swings the lever 90 to withdraw the pin 86, so that it willjvnot be a second time engaged by the abutment 88. f

' As'thelay thereafter moves rearward, the

' exhausted shuttle S is preventedfrom moving rearward with the lay by the flange 78 and the shuttle S is thus deposited in the receiver 75.` .A f

It will thus appear that the only movable shuttle engaging part is the simple trans' ferrer 80, which has merely a slight angular movement about its rock shaft 82, and it will further appear that neither the fresh nor the exhausted shuttle receive any sudden or abrupt movements and that they are required to move only a very slight distance during the removal and replenishment of the shuttles.

All the parts `involved in my improved mechanism are of simple and reliable construction and they are not easily deranged or put out of order.

Having thus described my invention and the "advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but. what I do claim is l. In a shuttle-changing loom, a lay, a stationary shuttle magazine located approximately in Vertical alignment above the normal position of the running shuttle when the lay is at back center, a drop box frame having an upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, weft-controlled mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, the lowest shuttle in said magazine being positioned substantially in said regular shuttle box when the latter is raised and at back center, and being removed from said magazine in a. substantially horizontal forward direction by forward movement thereof in unison with said lay and eifected thereby.

2. In a shuttle-changing loom, a lay, a stationary shuttle magazine located approximately in vertical alignment above the normal position of the running shuttle when the lay is at back center, a drop box frame having an upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, weft-controlled mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, said boxes being raised while the substantially exhausted running shuttle is absent and being lowered after the exhausted shuttle is received in the lower auxiliary shuttle box, the lowest shuttle in said magazine being positioned substantially in said regular shuttle box'when the latter is raised and at back center, and being removed from said magazine in a substantially horizontal forward direction by forward movement thereof in unison withl said lay and effected thereby.

3. In a shuttle-changing loom, a lay, a stationary shuttle magazine located approximately in vertical alignment above the normal position of the running shuttle when the lay is at back center, a drop box frame having an upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, weftcontrolled mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, saidboxes being raised while the substantially exhausted running shuttle is absent and being lowered after the exhausted shuttle is received in? the lower auxiliary shuttle box, the lowest shuttle in said magazine being positioned substantially in said regular shuttle box when the latter is raised and at back center, and being removed from said magazine in a substantially horizontal forward direction by forward movement thereof in vunison with said lay and effected thereby, and means -to engage and positively remove the exhausted shuttle from said lower box as the lay next moves rearward.

4. In a shuttle-changing loom, a lay, a stationary shuttle magazine located approximately in vertical alignment above the normal position of the running shuttle when the lay is at back center, a drop box frame having an Upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, weft-controlled mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, a shuttle transferrer movable with the lay, and means to move said transferrer upward into position to engage the lowest shuttle in said magazine upon upward movement of said boxes and before forward movement thereof, said transferrer thereafter acting to transfer the fresh shuttle to the regular shuttle box by a substantially horizontal forward movement thereof.

5. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim et in which a fixed abutment is provided, in which said latter means comprises an actuating member and means to slide said member into position to engage the fixed abutment as the lay moves rearward after the indication of transfer.

6. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 4 in which a fixed abutment is provided, in which said latter means includes an actuating member movable axially by upward movement of the shuttle boxes into position for engagement by the fixed abutment as the lay moves rearward after indication of transfer.

7. In a shuttle-changing loom, a lay, a stationary shuttle magazine located approximately in vertical alignment above the normal position of the running shuttle when the lay is at back center, a drop box frame having an upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, weft-controlled mechanism to raise and lower said boxes, a shuttle transferrer mo 'able with the lay, means to move said transferrer upward into position to engage the lowest shuttle in said magazine upon upward movement of said boxes, and means to lock said transferrer in raised position.

8. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 7, in which means is provided to unlock said transferrer for movement to inoperative normal position as the boxes thereafter move downward.

9. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 7, in which means is provided to unlock said transferrer for movement to inoperative normal position as the boxes thereaft-er move downward, and means is provided to maintain said transferrer in its lower inoperative position during the normal operation of the loom.

10. In a shuttle-changing loom, a drop box frame having an upper regular shuttle box and a lower auxiliary shuttle box, a top plate for said regular box, means to move said plate forward during shuttle replacement, and a single binder fixed vertically and engaging AUGUSTIN J. CHEVRETTE. 

